This invention relates to apparatus for coupling a metallurgical carriage to a flexible conduit. More particularly, this invention relates to apparatus for automatically effecting the coupling of a flexible conduit to a metallurgical carriage at a predetermined location of travel of the metallurgical carriage.
It is known to treat steel contained in a metallurgical ladle by gas injection while the ladle is being transported on a metallurgical carriage, for example towards a continuous casting caster. For this purpose porous bricks are incorporated into the base of the metallurgical ladle and are connected permanently to gas pipes affixed to the ladle. These gas pipes on the ladle are connected by a disconnectable coupling to gas distribution pipes installed on the metallurgical carriage.
From U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,259, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, a coupling device is known, which makes it possible to automatically connect the gas pipes of the metallurgical ladle to the gas pipes on the metallurgical carriage, when the metallurgical ladle is placed on the metallurgical carriage. This coupling device has the advantage of rendering unnecessary any human intervention with the metallurgical carriage in order to connect the metallurgical ladle to the gas pipes of the metallurgical carriage.
The gas pipes of the metallurgical carriage are themselves connected to a stationary gas supply circuit through a flexible conduit or hose of considerable length. During the movement along its running track, the metallurgical carriage consequently drags its flexible supply pipe along behind itself. In other words, the flexible conduit forms a kind of umbilical cord connecting the movable metallurgical carriage to fixed installations.
In order to avoid having to connect the flexible conduit to the metallurgical carriage carrying a ladle filled with steel, which would expose a worker to great risks, there is now common practice to leave this flexible supply pipe connected permanently to the metallurgical carriage. This way of proceeding means, however, that the metallurgical carriage must drag its flexible supply pipe along even when a gas supply to the ladle is not required. This gives rise to the particular disadvantages that the flexible conduit is needlessly exposed to wear and to the risk of accidental rupture, and that its length has to be far greater than the length actually required to supply the metallurgical carriage with gas over a limited section of the running track on which the carriage travels.